Hi there. I love this site and have referenced it often. I am just finishing a GIGANTIC tote bag that I am planning to felt tonight. The problem is, I just noticed that I have a sort of hole that appears to be a knit stich that spans two rows. I thought I had carefully checked for mistakes before casting off, but I must have missed this one.

the funny thing is, I have just started my first circular double-pointed needle knitting project (mittens) and have been very frustrated by the same problem. Somehow I am making a (knit) stitch that is giant -- and not just a loose stitch, because when inspected it seems to be 2x as long as it should be -- the best way I can describe it is to say that it spans two rows. Can I sort of ladder it up with a crochet hook? How am I producing this repeatedly? If I can't fix it, I am not too concerned as I am going to felt it quite a bit and it will probably disappear. But I would really like to know what to watch for when I am knitting.

Yes, it is the "occassional" enlongated stitch. I'm not sure what you mean by wrapping the yarn twice. I will say that I knit "continental" or with my left hand. I "pick" the yarn.

If I were to make a guess, I'd say it happens somehow if I catch myself losing a stitch. I think I've put it back on alright and continue knitting. But after a few rows, I notice this long, large stitch. I've stared and stared at it and I wonder if, when I put the stitch that came off the needle back on, if a loop has already pulled out and I am putting the loop from the PREVIOUS row onto my active row, thus enlongating it. But, because I am new to this, I have absolutely no idea how to recognize this, AND I have no idea once I do recognize it, how NOT to do it any more!

Do you think THAT could be my problem? Would THAT create a long stitch?

...losing a stitch. I think I've put it back on alright and continue knitting. But after a few rows, I notice this long, large stitch.

Do you think THAT could be my problem? Would THAT create a long stitch?

OK - I knit up a test swatch to check this out and sounds as though you are slipping a stitch = moving a stitch from left needle to right without stitching it. I also tried dropping a stitch and that forms horizontal ladder rungs. And I tried what I first thought it might be: stick the right needle into the next st to be knit, wrap the yarn around it twice (intstead of once) and knit the stitch = this gives almost a set of three longer sts. When I slip a st, I only get one elongated st.

And yes, you can fix it with a crochet hook, even if it's down a few rows. When you get to that one stitch, slip it off the left needle and let it unknit down to the elongated part. Then you can catch the horizontal rungs of yarn with a crochet hook- you may have to twist the elongated stitch so it is facing the correct way - and work your way back up to your current row. Amy has videos, "Fixing mistakes" that might help, http://www.knittinghelp.com/knitting/basic_techniques/misc.php

Do you have any tips for how I can avoid doing this, aside from just being more careful? This double-pointed business is difficult! Especially just storing the project. I pick it up and count all the stitches and it just seems to happen no matter how careful I am.

It sounds like you might want to get some point protectors or figure out some other way of blocking off the ends of your needles while your project is set aside so the stitches don't fall off. I've seen two caps connected by elastic, that are specifically made for DPNs, but I can't remember where online they were - maybe someone else knows?

The only way I can really notice a slipped stitch is if I look at the back side of my work - if it has just happened the 'live' end of the yarn (the strand you are working with coming off the ball) will be coming from the second stitch in on the right needle and not from the stitch on the end. If knit correctly the working yarn would be coming out of the last stitch on the right needle. Try slipping a stitch on purpose and seeing what it looks like! You can always slip it back...

I agree that it sounds like you're slipping a stitch. It looks like one stitch that stretches up to cover two rows? It's not especially loose, right? Just stretched up so it looks tall? That's a slipped stitch.

It might be that on your DPN's, a stitch has fallen off the end of a needle (common), and when you put it back on, it's run down a row without your noticing, so you're putting on the stitch from the row before. This would probably give you a bit of a loose loop in the back of the work, where there had been a stitch, and then it was let out.

If there's nothing loose back there, and everything is pulled taught, then you're probably slipping it as you work the knitting: meaning, you paused in the middle of a stitch, because you were distracted by something, and then, instead of continuing by pulling the working yarn through the stitch, you think you've already done that, and you slip the stitch off the left needle, and continue from there. My guess is that this is what's happening; so just be more aware of where you are, when you get distracted by something.